Senator Katie Britt Celebrates House Passage of Lulu’s Law, Recounts Lulu Gribbin’s Incredible Story on Senate Floor

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) today spoke on the Senate floor to celebrate yesterday’s passage of her legislation, Lulu’s Law , in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bipartisan legislation was originally introduced in the Senate in July of 2024 and passed the Senate unanimously in July of 2025 in honor of Lulu Gribbin and to help prevent tragedies like the one she experienced from happening to anyone in the future. Senator Britt remarked the following: “Mr. President, today I rise to honor Lulu Gribbin and to celebrate that Lulu’s Law has now passed both the Senate and as of yesterday, the House of Representatives. “I want to take you back a second. So, Lulu Gribbin has inspired the world. And for those of you who don’t know her story, you got to go look it up. This child, 15-years-old, on June 7 … almost two years ago, was doing what so many families do, particularly from Alabama, and she was enjoying the Gulf Coast. She was looking for a sand dollar with one of her friends when, unfortunately, she was attacked by a shark. And the moments that followed, she lost her left arm, and she lost her right leg … “[S]he lost two-thirds of the blood from her body in the moments following. It is literally by God’s grace that that precious child is still with us. There were doctors and EMTs and nurses and Good Samaritans that came to her aid and her rescue immediately. As they worked diligently to save Lulu and to figure out what the pathway forward was, the world became inspired by her grit, by her grace, by her resiliency, by her toughness, and by her attitude of positivity and saying, ‘How can I take what has happened to me and make sure other people’s lives are better?’ “Lulu is one of four. She’s actually a twin. We loved hosting her entire family here yesterday. It was such a special moment, Mr. President. Lulu walked out onto the House floor and got to be there when they voted for this law in her name. This law that she said is going to protect people. It’s going to make beachgoers safe here safer, and it’s going to make the country stronger and better. “So, what Lulu’s Law does is actually really simple. And when you think about how this came to be, we were talking about this, a group of friends of mine … about what happened to Lulu and the events that followed, and … one of the women said, ‘If there had just been an alert that they knew a shark attack occurred’, because to know this law, you have to know Lulu’s story. “Just 90 minutes before Lulu was attacked, a woman from Virginia, Elizabeth Foley, was attacked by a shark and lost her left hand. It was just a short two miles plus down the way on the beach that Lulu was attacked 90 minutes later. If she had had any idea about Elizabeth Foley’s attack, she and her friends would have never been in the water. So, what this does is it just authorizes local, state, tribal leaders to be able to utilize the wireless alert system if an attack occurs. It’s simple. It’s common sense. “When I called Lulu’s parents, Joe and Ann Blair Gribbin … (and) their resiliency, their love for their daughter, their foundation they’ve created is just nothing short of remarkable, they said, ‘We’ve been talking about this exact same thing’ when we brought the idea forward. “I want to thank my colleague from Hawaii, Senator Brian Schatz, for his leadership on this effort. He immediately joined alongside me and said, ‘This is a small tweak that can make a big difference.’ So now when these events occur off the coast, whether it be anywhere from the East Coast to the West Coast to the Gulf of America or beyond, we will be authorized and able to use that wireless alert system, ping the phones in that area, let people know of a dangerous environment, and get more kids, more families, more people to safety. “Mr. President, this honors Lulu and it honors the spirit in which she has dealt with the unthinkable, which is, ‘How am I going to take what happened to me and positively impact others?’ Yesterday, as we stood with (Majority) Leader Scalise, and he was so gracious to have her up and to be able to celebrate with her afterwards, she said, ‘We’re making a difference. We’re making a positive impact, and that’s what this is all about. Between that and her foundation that she started, it’s called … Lulu Strong Foundation. She helps kids and others that need help with prosthetics. She has been remarkable… she was telling us yesterday she used to play volleyball. Now she plays golf … Go be inspired by her faith, by her grit, by her resiliency. She is a 17-year-old Alabamian that is truly changing the world and took a circumstance that people thought was unthinkable and has made a positive impact that I know is going to change and save lives. “And it was an honor to carry this piece of legislation. I am grateful to Senator Schatz. I’m grateful to Congressman Palmer, who carried it in the House, and we look forward to standing beside the president and signing this into law for Lulu’s honor and to make sure that beach season is safer as a result. Thank you, Mr. President.” You can watch the full remarks here . ###